The present invention relates to gas turbine engines, and in particular, to lubrication systems on gas turbine engines.
Generally, gas turbine engines include lubrication systems that supply lubricating liquid to various components. That lubricating liquid typically absorbs large amounts of heat and requires cooling. Air-to-oil heat exchangers are commonly employed to cool the lubricating liquid via a flow of air. Such heat exchangers are typically sized for the maximum amount of cooling that a lubrication system is expected to need at the most extreme operating conditions. Thus, such heat exchangers can be relatively large, adding undesirable weight, taking up valuable space, and reducing efficiency. In gas turbine engines with a relatively slow fan speed, such heat exchangers typically need to be even larger and heavier in order to perform a suitable amount of cooling.